Adele Downs's Blog, page 36

Groovy Flowers by @Adele_Downs #Foto_Friday

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2016

Filed under: Foto_Friday, Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania Tagged: Adele Downs original photographs

Firefighter: Ready To Roll

In my previous post, Firefighter: Ready For Duty (1/5/16), I mentioned that my husband and I attend an annual country music festival called the Old Fiddler’s Picnic. In addition to the music, we enjoy strolling around the grounds to check out the car show, crafts merchants, and food vendors.

During one of our visits, the fire chief gave me permission to take pictures of the fire trucks and ambulance parked on the sideline, where firefighters stood by in case of an emergency. I’d never seen firefighting equipment up close, and appreciated the opportunity. The photos have been useful visual tools while writing my romance novels featuring firehouse heroes.

Part One–Firefighter: Ready For Duty posted 1/5/16

Firefighter and paramedic heroes are featured in HOOK ME UP, SANTA TO THE RESCUE and NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs.  INTO THE FLAMES firefighter anthology is On Sale! Available now on Amazon!

       

Photos copyright Adele Downs

Filed under: Contemporary Romance, Fire Prevention Week, Firefighters, First Responders, Places in Pennsylvania Tagged: firefighter romance novels, pictures of fire engines, what a firefighter looks like in turnouts

Firefighter: Ready for Duty

My husband and I attend the Old Fiddler’s Picnic in Pennsylvania’s Hibernia Park almost every year to enjoy a day of live country and bluegrass music. While the guitars and banjos play, antique and classic car collectors showcase their automobiles, vendors sell crafts and homemade snacks, tours of the Colonial era Hibernia mansion take place, and the fire department stands by in case of an emergency.

Since my published romance novellas Hook Me Up, Naturally Yours, and Santa To The Rescue feature firefighter and paramedic heroes, I asked permission to take pictures for research purposes of the firefighting equipment and trucks parked on the festival sideline. The captain graciously said yes, and then one of the firefighters offered to show me how turnouts are worn. (Turnouts: fireproof jacket, and fireproof pants with suspenders and boots attached.)

I must admit, I’ve never been so interested in watching a man put clothes on, though the firefighter dressed so quickly my camera and I could hardly keep up. Lol.

Here’s how a firefighter dresses for duty, step by step:

The turnout all-in-one bottoms with suspenders and boots attached.

The firefighter steps into the turnouts within seconds.

The turnout coat.

The firefighter slips on the turnout coat.

Velcro closures make for fast work.

The firefighter grabs his helmet and is ready for action.

**

Part Two–Firefighter: Ready To Roll 1/6/16

**

Photos copyright Adele Downs

Filed under: .99 Kindle Book, .99 Novella, .99 short story, Contemporary Romance, Firefighters, First Responders Tagged: a firefighter dresses for a fire, a firefighter prepares for duty, what a firefighter looks like in turnouts

Who Will Save A Man Who Saves The World? NATURALLY YOURS by @Adele_Downs Featured Book http://amzn.to/1JlSUj0 @MyFamHrtBookRvw #MFRWauthor

My Family’s Heart Book Reviews and dozens of book bloggers will feature NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs on social media all day!

Please share this post about NATURALLY YOURS on Facebook, Twitter, and any other of your favorite sites.

Buy The Book on Amazon for only $2.99! An Award of Excellence Finalist. Numerous 5★ reviews!

“You can’t go wrong with Adele Downs.” Will Work for Books

NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs

Who will save a man who saves the world?

Paramedic Mickey Kendall hasn’t slept a full night since his return from Iraq. He rescues victims by day and protects the innocent after dark. Mickey doesn’t do it for glory; he wants absolution, not admiration. He lives by the rule: No personal contact after a rescue. That code meets the ultimate test when Mickey saves a child’s life on a roadside and declines the parents’ invitation to dinner at their upscale restaurant.

Master chef Amanda Greer lives by the principle that delicious food and good company build bridges. When she learns Mickey has refused her business partners’ hospitality, she persuades him to change his mind. The handsome paramedic visits her restaurant and Amanda joins him at his table. Their unexpected chemistry turns kinetic and leads to a passionate kiss.

In Amanda’s arms, Mickey finds relief from the stressors that haunt him, but resists falling in love. When Amanda challenges him to face his demons and accept the love she offers, Mickey arrives at a crossroad. The war-weary paramedic must first save himself to claim the woman who reignites his passion for living and revives his wounded heart.

Excerpt:

“They called you a hero in the press.” Her dark lashes lowered and lifted and she smiled at him with admiration shining in her eyes. “They were right, of course. What you did for Jack can never be repaid.”

Mickey winced at the hero reference. “I hate to disappoint you, but I only did what I’m trained to do.”

Amanda made sounds of disagreement low in her throat. “Elena told me at least a hundred and fifty cars passed her on the highway. Every one of them ignored her cries for help. Of all those people, don’t you think one might have been medically trained? Or at least cared enough to respond? No. You stopped. Only you.”

Oh. He hadn’t thought of that.

She pointed a finger at his chest. “There’s a difference between you and other people. There’s no other way to explain what happened on that roadway. Elena is convinced you’re special, and I never doubt her perceptions. That’s another reason why I wanted to meet you.”

Mickey stared into Amanda’s eyes and her pupils dilated. Her lips parted, ever so slightly, as if to welcome a kiss. Her tongue touched the inside of her bottom lip and disappeared. Mickey knew then, she felt it too. Synergy. Chemistry. An attraction so powerful it turned kinetic on contact.

Some called it love at first sight.

Amanda. Even her name was beautiful.

She took a sip of her drink and he watched her mouth and throat work the liquid. When she set down the tumbler, she wiped a droplet from the corner of her mouth with a trimmed, unpolished fingertip. Mickey wished he could have swiped the bead away with his tongue.

Amanda leaned closer and pressed a hand to his wrist. “Trained or not, you were the only stranger on that highway who had a heart.”

Mickey laid his hand over hers and she let him keep it there. Until now, he wasn’t sure he still had a heart. His had been chipped away, piece by piece, like a block of ice since the war. He’d considered it long gone, with his soul. In mere minutes, what was left had thawed in the center, leaving him raw and exposed.

Amanda continued to speak; clearly unaware she’d stripped away another layer. “I love Jack like he’s my own son. He’s a terrific kid. I’ve helped take care of him since the day the Martins and I started this restaurant. When you saved him, you saved us all.” Amanda leaned in and pressed a quick, sweet kiss against Mickey’s jaw.

Their gazes locked when she sat back in her chair. The gravity of her words and her straightforward kiss humbled him into speechlessness. He’d been thanked many times before, but this woman had gotten to him like no one else. He squeezed her hand and then downed the rest of his drink. Amanda took another sip of hers and set the glass on the table before retreating into silence. She turned the tumbler slowly in her hands.

Mickey looked back at her and tapped two fingers against the menu’s leather cover. “Nothing here is what I expected.”

Amanda returned a quiet smile, either assuming he meant food choices, or pretending he had. She tucked her arms beneath her breasts and leaned forward against the edge of the table, lifting perfect white swells above the neckline of her blouse. “Organic means untouched by artificiality. Grown and consumed in its natural state. We eat only healthy foods unspoiled by chemicals, preservatives, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, and genetically modified seeds or cells. Pure.”

Pure. Mickey gazed at the stunning woman by his side. The texture of her skin looked smooth as cream and welcoming to the touch. He longed to run his hands along her thighs, imagining sleek roads leading to heaven at their apex. “I like the sound of that.” The way she looked back at him while he studied her face made him wonder if she’d read his mind.

The one that had gone dirty.

***

Buy NATURALLY YOURS on Amazon! Only $2.99

Filed under: Uncategorized

Who Will Save The Cat? Hook Me Up by @Adele_Downs .99 Special! http://amzn.to/1P8DThj @choosybookworm #MFRWauthor #99cents #romance

HOOK ME UP by Adele Downs is a featured release at Choosy Bookworm.

A sweet but sexy firefighter contemporary romance novella. 5★ early reviews!

ON SALE for .99 for a limited time!

Please share this post on Facebook, Twitter, and your other favorite social media sites.

“This book is marvelous, it cracked me up at the very first page. If I could give it more than five stars I would! A must read!” 5★~ Roxie’s Reviews

Price will return to $2.99 soon. Buy your copy now for .99 on Amazon!

About HOOK ME UP

Firemen don’t free cats from trees anymore—until a pretty schoolteacher gets trapped on a limb with her kitten and the county’s hottest firefighter comes to their rescue.

Excerpt:

Lexi’s voice had gone hoarse, but she tried again to call for help, emitting faint sounds from her dry throat. Ginger mewled.

To her amazement, a husky voice answered. “Try not to move. I’ll be right up.”

She followed the sound to the bottom of the tree and figured the blood rushing from her feet to her brain had turned her mind to oatmeal. She’d either grown delusional, or died from her injuries, because the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen had moved into her line of sight and stood at the base of her apple tree.

She squeezed her eyes closed, and then opened them again. The man was still there. He had corn-colored hair and looked up at her with the eyes of an angel. The soot on his cheeks and chin couldn’t camouflage the stunning face beneath.

A firefighter dressed in full regalia had come to her rescue.

She watched, filled with relief and hope, as he hoisted a circle of rope over his shoulder and gripped a long-handled hook with an axe on the opposite side. In one smooth motion, he began to climb. She’d never been so glad to see another human being.

That’s when Lexi remembered her naked breasts and the purple lace thong she barely wore.

Buy The Book on Amazon!

HOOK ME UP is featured now at Choosy Bookworm!

Filed under: .99 Kindle Book, .99 short story, Contemporary Romance, Firefighters, First Responders, Kindle Book, New Release, Romance, Romance Fiction, Romance Novella, Romantic Fiction, Sale on Books, Short Story Tagged: multicultural cast of secondary firehouse characters, New release by Adele Downs, similar to Chicago Fire, story sold separately from the Into The Flames anthology, sweet but sexy romance novella

Happy New Year 2016 From Pennsylvania! #Foto_Friday

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a positive, productive year in 2016. During the holidays, I took some time off from writing new material and spent most of my time enjoying family and friends, taking photographs for fun, and preparing completed novels for submission to publishers. As soon as I sign new book contracts, I’ll let you know. I’m excited about the year ahead!

One of my New Year’s resolution begins today with my first Foto_Friday. Since many of my blog subscribers seem to enjoy my original photographs, I’ve decided to post a picture every Friday through 2016. The only exceptions will be if a guest author visits…or I have a new release… or I forget. Lol. You know how New Year’s resolutions tend to wane…but if you continue to enjoy my pictures, I’ll continue to post them.

Please let me know if you enjoy this new feature. Positive feedback is a great motivator.

Cactus is not native to Pennsylvania, but this holiday cactus “tree” with twinkle lights at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square fits right in. Strange looking, but beautiful.

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2016

Filed under: Flowers and Gardens, Foto_Friday, Historical Sites in Pennsylvania, Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA, Seasons of the Year Tagged: Adele Downs wishes you a Happy New Year 2016, Foto_Friday, New Year 2016

Merry Christmas From Pennsylvania

Wishing my readers, blog subscribers, friends, and family all the joys of Christmas. I appreciate each one of you. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for my books and for subscribing to my blog. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Best~Adele

Photograph copyright Adele Downs 2015

Filed under: Christmas, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA Tagged: Christmas Greeting from Adele Downs

Merry Christmas From Pennyslvania

Wishing my readers, blog subscribers, friends, and family all the joys of Christmas. I appreciate each one of you. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for my books and for subscribing to my blog. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Best~Adele

Photograph copyright Adele Downs 2015

Filed under: Christmas, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA Tagged: Christmas Greeting from Adele Downs

Christmas at Longwood Gardens

Friends and I spent the day at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, to enjoy the spectacular Christmas displays for which they’re renowned. I arrived with my digital camera in hand, prepared to take dozens of equally spectacular pictures, and then…after the first shot…my battery died. I’d checked the battery beforehand, and thought it was okay, but I was mistaken. Grrr. Lesson learned. Always carry a spare.

So…I improvised, and spent the afternoon taking pictures with my iPhone 5C. Not ideal, but doable. When I got home, I edited the photos with a picture program. I hope you enjoy them. Longwood Gardens is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and if you visit Pennsylvania, you won’t want to miss it.

I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful holiday season.

Photographs copyright Adele Downs 2015

Filed under: Christmas, Environment, Family, Flowers and Gardens, Historical Sites in Pennsylvania, Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA, Seasons of the Year, Travel Tagged: Longwood Gardens in winter, Pictures of Longwood Gardens Christmas display

Kayelle Allen-No Bake Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Please welcome my guest Kayelle Allen, who has no time to bake for Christmas this year, and has decided to rely on Betty Crocker for her chocolate cookie recipe. I can’t wait to try these. I have no time to spare, either!

Best~Adele

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened dark baking cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups granola

Directions

1. Line cookie sheet with foil. In 4-quart saucepan, heat sugar, butter, cocoa and milk to boiling over medium-high heat. Boil 2 minutes, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir in granola until well combined.

2. Quickly drop granola mixture onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoonfuls. Cool until set, about 30 minutes.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/no-bake-dark-chocolate-granola-cookies/

*****

A Gift for You from Kayelle:

A Peek Inside A Romance for Christmas includes excerpts, information about the characters, the reason the book was written. It’s illustrated with original art. Everyone can download a free copy.

Peek inside the book: http://bit.ly/rom4cmaspeek

*****

A Romance for Christmas by Kayelle Allen

A cop at the door on Christmas Eve brings an unexpected gift.

It’s Christmas Eve, and the end of a year in which everything Dara loves has been lost. Everything but her little girl and a fierce determination to survive. When a cop brings Christmas to her door, he brings another gift she never expected to get.

Excerpt:

Dara was gaining strength daily, and would finish therapy the first week of January and return to work. Disability paid for the basics – lights, phone, water, trash collection, and she’d never bought anything on credit, refusing to dig herself into a hole she’d never escape once it got started.

She went to the closet and pulled down a box with a ball, crayons, paper, and three books. A friend had brought over a few things as well. This wasn’t the grand Christmas Dara had wanted for her daughter, but all the other valuables had been sold. There was nothing left but her wedding ring.

She didn’t wear it. Removing it had been part of saying good-bye to Jack.

They said it would help, and it had. Sort of. But not much.

Dara sank into one of the kitchen chairs and put her face in her hands.

Sometime later, when the doorbell rang, she grabbed a paper towel and dried her eyes. The clock over the stove said nine o’clock. Who would be calling at this hour on Christmas Eve? She stuffed the wet towel in her robe pocket on the way to the door.

*****

Buy The Book:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1wpW8qE

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1wpYfL2

Kobo http://bit.ly/1wpYndJ

iBooks http://is.gd/sdSfMT

CreateSpace http://is.gd/gazeza

About the Author:

Kayelle Allen is a multi-published, award-winning author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include contemporary every day folk, role-playing immortal gamers, futuristic covert agents, and warriors who purr.

Website https://kayelleallen.com ~ Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen

Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author

Filed under: Christmas, Christmas Book, Kindle Book Tagged: alone at christmas, contemporary romance, holiday romance, Kayelle Allen, sweet christmas romance, sweet contemporary romance